22:21, 12-Feb-2018
Cyprus Ship Incident: EU urges Turkey to avoid causing friction with EU member state
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The European Commission is calling on Turkey to avoid any action that could affect neighborly relations. It comes after Cyprus, a member of the EU, accused the Turkish military of obstructing a ship exploring for gas in the eastern Mediterranean.
MINA ANDREEVA EUROPEAN COMMISSION SPOKESPERSON "Turkey needs to commit unequivocally to good neighborly relations and avoid any kind of source of friction, threat or action directed against a member state which damages good neighborly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes."
"The EU also stresses the need to respect the sovereignty of member states over their territorial sea and airspace."
Cyprus says Turkey's actions were against international law. But Turkey accuses the Greek-Cypriot government of exploration that violates the rights of Turkish Cypriots to the natural resources of the divided island.